Writing for a global audience April 8, 2009
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Random musings, Translation Sites.3 comments
As the world grows smaller, the Plain English movement is becoming more and more popular. The Plain English Campaign, which is based in the UK, has been in existence since 1979, but it is really starting to gain in popularity due to globalization and the Internet. Whether it’s called Plain English or Plain Language, the idea behind it is the same. In a nutshell, Plain English ensures that readers all over the world will understand a text by teaching authors to avoid stilted jargon and complex sentence constructions. Plain English advocates the use of “plain English” in public communications and tries to avoid the use of “gobbledygook, jargon and misleading public information” in government departments and official organizations, but it isn’t a bad idea for multinational companies or companies who want to do business overseas to learn about it either.
The Northeast Ohio Translators Association is planning a presentation on Plain English on May 30th. We are also inviting the local tech writer group, Northeast Ohio STC. I am very excited about this presentation, because I think it will give translators insight into the minds of the authors of our texts and will illustrate how Plain English might make our jobs easier.
WikiHow has a featured article called “How to Write for a Global Audience.” As it explains:
If you’re advertising or writing about a carbonated beverage, what do you call it? Soda? Pop? Fizzy drink? Mineral? All of these terms are “correct” depending on where your readers are. Today, there is a greater chance of your work being read by someone on a different continent, especially if you write online. It’s predicted that by 2011, there will be 1.5 billion people with Internet access, with most new users coming from Brazil, Russia, India and China.
Problems can also arise within the same language depending on which country the text is targeted (as we all know, Brazilian Portuguese is not the same as Portuguese in Portugal, Spain and Mexico have very different languages, etc.). One cited example in the WikiHow article is the use of rubber: “asking to borrow a ‘rubber’ in the U.K. will get you what in the U.S. is called an ‘eraser,’ whereas the same request in the U.S. is likely to be interpreted as a slang word for ‘condom’.” Authors need to be aware of all possible cultural quagmires – as should translators.
As translators, it is (hopefully) ingrained in us to use the proper terminology based on the target audience and know when to best use passive and active voice in a text. We are also instantly cognizant of cultural differences that may present a problem and know how to best convey ideas that might not have a cultural equivalence in the target language. I was also taught to mirror the author’s register (meaning if the author uses informal language the translation should as well and vice versa) and to avoid using colloquisms and contractions whenever possible. But the article also includes tips that you might not realize.
Ah, if only the authors of the texts we need to translate would learn more about Plain English…
As an aside, although they don’t focus on Plain English per se… if you are interested in learning more about globalization and global marketing I can recommend two good books: Business without Borders: A Strategic Guide to Global Marketing by Donald A. DePalma and The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman. Both books are suggested reading for Kent State University’s Localization class.
You are only as good as your last translation April 7, 2009
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Random musings, Translation Sites.3 comments
Everyone has bad days. Days when you are simply unmotivated. Days when you can’t put a decent sentence together to save your life. Days when all you want to do is crawl back to bed and pull the covers over your head to escape the world. We’ve all been there. However, unfortunately in our field you are only as good as your last translation. Most clients are not forgiving when you send them a sloppy translation, as is their right because they have to ensure their client is happy. It doesn’t matter how many outstanding translations you have delivered to them in the past; if you screw up a translation you will most likely never hear from them again.
So how can you combat this? Consider hiring a fellow translator to proofread your translations and catch your (hopefully rare) boneheaded mistakes. Try to negotiate a longer deadline to ensure you can read over the translation when you have ruminated on it for a bit. I am always amazed how things that made no sense yesterday are suddenly crystal clear today.
If you ensure every translation you deliver is good quality and delivered on schedule you can be assured that you will have happy repeat customers. And that’s money in the bank…
Establishing a work-life balance and overcoming loneliness April 1, 2009
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Random musings.5 comments
“I could never work from home like you do. I’d miss being around people too much.” How many times have you heard this statement? When you are a freelance translator working from home it is easy to fall into the trap of becoming socially isolated. There are many reasons for this. If you have a huge deadline you may have to work 12 to 14 hours a day to meet your deadline. Since our jobs allow us to be so flexible, you might have moved to a new location for your spouse’s job, and you may not know anyone in your new location. There is also a Catch-22 in the fact that since many of us work from home, we don’t often get the opportunity to make friends locally. You may even be introverted to begin with, and translation allows you to hide behind your desk. Human beings are not programmed to be socially isolated. Even the biggest introvert feels better when socializing with others, albeit in a comfortable situation.
Freelance Folder had a great blog post today on Overcoming Loneliness: How To Develop a Flesh-And-Blood Support Group. As the article states, “[w]hile it is great having virtual friends and colleagues from all walks of life and all over the world, there comes a time when most of us want to be around real people.” This is especially true for freelance translators. We know lots of people all over the world and rely on the Internet and other virtual methods to keep in touch. I know many of my fellow German/English translators constantly rave about the collegial interactions on the ATA’s German Language Division listserv or the Germany-based PT list. It is our virtual watercooler, where we post terminology questions, offer business advice, share amusing language-related articles, and occasionally warn others of possible scams. But virtual interaction is not the same as face-to-face.
It is so important to establish a work-life balance. Here are some of my suggestions to make sure you are balancing a social life with your career:
- Set up a work schedule and stick to it as closely as possible. Consider turning off the computer so you don’t have the temptation of quickly checking e-mail before bed and then spending an hour answering e-mail and reading blogs, tweets, websites, etc.
- If you find you are working over the weekend more than during the week consider blocking off two of your slower days during the week for a “weekend” and do fun things like treat yourself to lunch or go to your local museum or botanical garden. I am looking forward to the Case Western Reserve University Used Book Sale at the end of May. I pick up some great books and treat myself to lunch in Little Italy
- Meet friends and/or colleagues for coffee, lunch, or dinner as often as you can. You might think about setting a goal for yourself of two get-togethers a month or even one a week to ensure you actually do it.
- Treat yourself to a meal in a favorite restaurant in the middle of the day – just you and a good book or the newspaper – even if you have work. The little break will do you good.
- Take a break and take a walk to clear your head and recharge.
- Grab a book and sit in the park. I love reading fiction (especially mysteries), because it allows me to focus on something other than stent implantations and risk reports.
- Join the local recreation center or a good gym and attend an exercise class or chat with folks in the gym’s social areas. My class of choice is water aerobics, but I have also attended yoga and zumba classes there. This also has the added benefit of making you move and keeping you sane and healthy (see also #5).
- Take a class. Does your city offer Community Education classes? Check with your local college to see if they offer any non-degree courses for working adults. Take a pottery class, learn how to play the guitar or how to sell things on eBay, take a decorating class, take a cake decorating class, learn how to do home repairs, learn medical transcription. The sky’s the limit. Is there something you have always wanted to learn but have never found the time? Just do it. By taking a class you are among like-minded people and may make a life-long friend.
- Keep in touch with former contacts (schoolmates, friends or coworkers). Not only is it nice to catch up with old friends (I have been regularly meeting with old schoolmates from 20 years ago with whom I’ve recently reconnected on Facebook), keeping in touch with people has the added benefit of network building. I have several friends in various fields who I can contact if I have a translation question. A former boyfriend is a Diplom-Biochemiker, and he has helped me several times. Another friend is a cardiothoracic surgeon, and he has proofread a particularly tricky cardiac-related translation as well as presented at the ATA Medical Division conference last year.
- Join your local translators’ group or a professional group in your field. Also, most groups have trouble finding volunteers. The more you put into the group, the more you’ll get out of it. Consider helping the board or joining the programming committee.
- Check out Meetup.com. Find out which groups in your area might interest you, and join a couple. It’s free to join. If they don’t have a group for one of your interests, start one. It costs about $11-12 a month to start your own group. I write it off as an advertising expense. I love Meetup.com. I found out about it through the GLD List. I went there to find a German group but there wasn’t one. I joined a Dining Out group and had so much fun that night that I went home and started a German group. We now have 115 members, and many of them have become really good friends. We go to dinner at German restaurants and hit all the beer festivals and Oktoberfests. We even took a road trip to Cincinnati for their Oktoberfest. I am usually out two or three nights a week at a Meetup or hanging out with friends I’ve met through Meetup. My friends tell me they are jealous of my social life because I’m “never home.”
- One of my friends regularly organizes “Tweetups” or “jellies,” which offer participants in various online social networking sites the opportunity to meet offline. I was a member of a coworking group through Meetup.com for a while until the organizer disbanded it because he stopped working from home and joined a co-op office.
- Join a co-op office. If you hate working alone, a co-op might be the right choice for you. Or you might do well working at your local coffeeshop. Once you’ve been there long enough you will start recognizing your fellow patrons and will naturally start chatting.
- Volunteer. I really enjoy getting out of my apartment to deliver Meals on Wheels – and it makes me appreciate what I have. Become an usher at the local theater. Become a literacy advocate and teach people to read. Work as an election monitor. Volunteer at the local food or furniture bank and help those less fortunate.
- Get a pet. I lived in my apartment for two years and never knew my neighbors. Once I got my dog and walked her outside, I struck up several good friendships – and met one very close friend who had also lived practically next door to me for two years. Because she worked full-time at a local college she too went to work and then went straight into the house. We now go out to dinner at least twice a month (if not more) and go to water aerobics together.
- If you can’t afford a big vacation, go on a mini-vacation. Take a two-day trip to someplace close by that you have always wanted to visit. Go camping and/or hiking. Visit a Civil War battleground. Treat yourself to a weekend at a spa. Visit a quaint little town about an hour or two away. Visit a friend within driving distance. Just remember: no laptop allowed!
So, those are my suggestions. What are some of yours?
Dealing with crazy days March 30, 2009
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Random musings.1 comment so far
Man, I am happy to see this day end! I am surprised I got as much accomplished as I did. Susanne III calls these days “ADD days” – days when you can’t concentrate on anything for any length of time. In my case, it was due to constant interruptions.
My day started with a client calling me to tell me that the translation I had planned on working on today had been shortened by two pages. She wanted to know if I had started it, and I was happy to tell her that I hadn’t. It had been a crazy weekend, and the jobs I had worked on had taken up more time than I had planned.
I went to my computer to download the new file – and got error message after error message. My e-mail was down – dead as a doornail – es ging absolut gar nix! Not only could Mailwasher and my e-mail program not download my e-mail – I couldn’t even load my ISP’s website to check my mail online or even my own website. I kept getting Page Load Errors and network timeouts. Something was definitely not right. It took several hours to deal with the problem. Luckily I asked my colleague and our resident computer guru on the ATA German Language Division listserv if he had heard of any problems with my ISP in Germany. He reported he was having problems with his GMX account. He did some research and got back to me. It turns out United Internet owns both 1&1 and GMX – not to mention web.de. In the end, it turns out it was a server problem at a backbone provider called XO.net in the UK. Roadrunner (Roland and my ISP here in the U.S.) could not access any sites owned by United Internet. I called their third level support, who called someone who managed to fix the problem by 6 PM. So to those of you who have Roadrunner as an ISP and had problems today: you’re welcome. In the meantime, I hacked into an unsecure wireless network near my home and was able to access my e-mail and get to work translating, delivering a medical report, counting the lines of the PPT file I delivered Sunday night, and writing invoices.
But that wasn’t even the strangest part of the day. Oh no! Around two o’clock my phone rang. It was my neighbor across the street telling me that all the police cars outside were due to a strange briefcase left at the Planned Parenthood down the street. They blocked the road at both ends and put up lots of orange barrels to restrict traffic. But people kept trying to drive through anyways. Man, people these days are selfish and entitled! I amused myself watching the police yell at people trying to drive through the parking lot across the street only to find themselves blocked in by barrels in the middle of the stretch. The bomb squad was called in, and two hours later the drama was over. It was a false alarm, which didn’t surprise me one bit.
Luckily I only had 800 words to translate instead of the previously assigned 1600. I don’t think if I would have gotten any more than that accomplished, because I had to be somewhere by 7 tonight. What a strange and exciting day it was. I really, really hope tomorrow is blissfully uneventful.
As for you, dear readers – what is the craziest day you’ve ever had to deal with and how did you handle it?
Joe Biden and intestinal fortitude March 28, 2009
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Random musings, Translation Sites.1 comment so far
I have recently subscribed to Barack Obama’s Teleprompter’s Blog. Not his speechwriter – the actual computer teleprompter (or TOTUS). I have no idea who is writing the blog, but if you aren’t reading Barack Obama’s Teleprompter’s Blog, you should be. The blog is hilarious and offers insight inside the White House in a very light and tongue-in-cheek manner. Today’s post entitled Who Gave Joe The Pen? reports on a translation flub in an op-ed piece that was reprinted in English, Spanish and Portuguese on the occasion of the Vice President’s trip to Latin America. It’s worth a read because I know my fellow linguists will chuckle.
Savoring the slow days March 24, 2009
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Random musings.1 comment so far
After work 12- to 14-hour days all last week and translating a total of around 34,000 words I woke up this morning with a dull headache, but was committed to enjoying the day. It’s chilly but sunny, and the birds are singing and building their nests. The perfect spring day. I had a nice lie-in with my dog, Lily, tucked in firmly by my side (I don’t know if she was afraid of the windows rattling from the spring gusts or was cold, but she usually sleeps at my feet – or rather ON my feet). She almost pushed me out of bed this morning, and that’s unusual. After letting her out to run around the backyard, I fired up the computer and checked my e-mail. I translated the two remaining responses in the survey (final word count: 35,789 – 5,000 of which were translated by a colleague so I could enjoy the weekend) and put on a pot of coffee. I have a 4-cup Gevalia coffeemaker that makes the most delicious coffee… I have a medical report due later today, and one of my colleagues is checking several spots for me. I’ll be heading out to deliver Meals on Wheels in about half an hour, which brings me great joy. I then have an appointment scheduled at 2 with a colleague through LogMeIn to finally remove all vestiges of Office Live, which causes Word to crash every few minutes and drive me batty. Once my computer is fixed and the translation is delivered the day yawns ahead of me, and I plan to embrace it. I’ll definitely go on a walk with Lily in the local park – or maybe even head down to her favorite dog park. I’ll read several chapters of The Private Patient by P.D. James and maybe catch up on some TV shows. The evening will be probably spent watching several movies (Hancock and The Dark Knight) that I borrowed from the public library and have to return soon. Sounds like heaven, doesn’t it? Now if you’ll excuse me, I need a refill on my coffee…
Stuck between cultures March 19, 2009
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in German culture, Random musings.5 comments
When I lived in Germany I frequently referred to myself as a Stranger in a Strange Land. I never quite fit in. The people (particularly those in positions dealing with customer service or more likely the lack thereof) would frequently frustrate me. I wasted time on German men who were impossible to read. My neighbors never quite understood me (although I did get a complement from one older woman on the Christmas lights in my window 🙂 ). I became a little bastion of America in Germany. And yet I loved living there. I made a lot of friends and embraced the cultural traditions like sitting in a beer garden or sitting in the sun at a café with a Milchkaffee, a nice piece of cake and a good book.
I am currently reading several books set in Europe, Spotted Dick, S’il Vous Plait by Tom Higgins and The Private Patient by P.D. James. Spotted Dick is about a translator who opened an English restaurant in Lyon, France. It’s enjoyable. I just wish he would translate his French phrases for those of us who don’t speak French… Anyway, I started The Private Patient last night and was seized by a wave of “homesickness” (or Fernweh – whatever you want to call it…) while reading a paragraph explaining how she walked through the center of town listening to the church bells. It’s amazing how just a simple sentence or description can transport me back to Europe and make me wish I lived there again.
But things wouldn’t be the same if I did. My friends have scattered to the wind, gotten married or had children. Living in Europe in my forties wouldn’t be the same as it was in my late twenties. I am sure I would be able to meet new people and make new friends, but there are lots of benefits to being home as well. I love having all my things around me, for one. I lived a temporary life for six years, with minimal property and lots of used furniture. I now own new furniture and have both new and old things from my childhood/college years/etc. surrounding me. It’s great to have all my CDs in a shelfing unit and just pick out the one I want to hear. I love being a dog owner and doubt I could bring her with me without a lot of hassle and paperwork.
But there’s also a lot to be said for wandering along cobblestone streets and listening to church bells peal – or sitting in a beer garden on the Rhine River watching the barges go by. I decided the way to deal with this is to make sure I actually get to Europe this year, come hell or high water. It’s been a while since I’ve been back, and I do really miss it.
It’s amazing how our adopted countries can quickly become home – and how home never quite feels the same when we return. We translators are a rare breed of people who learn to live stuck between cultures. In the end we adopt the practices that we enjoy the most. I have several German, Spanish and Czech cookbooks that I can use when I get a craving for a bit of the old country. I celebrate Karneval instead of Mardi Gras. I give friends who move into a new home a basket with salt and a loaf of bread. We become the best of both worlds. How about you? What do you miss about your home and adopted countries?
Everyone’s talking about rates these days March 18, 2009
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Random musings.7 comments
Corinne’s post Lowering your translation rates: why/why not has taken the translation industry by storm (or maybe just the people I follow on Twitter 🙂 ). I’ve been talking to a lot of fellow translators about this, and everyone has an agency that has tried to get them to lower their rates. It seems the Big Two are particularly guilty of this. One agency in Massachusetts allegedly refuses to pay more than 10 cents for into English translation, while a perfect agency in New York has been trying scare tactics and a big hammer to get their translators to lower their rates. Now, mind you, this particular agency is known for sending job requests after 6 PM that are due the next day or contacting translators on Sunday – both practices that should require weekend or rush rates. The translators I have spoken with who have been asked to do this have stuck to their guns and not agreed to lower their rates – and received job requests the next day at their usual rates!
I have to admit that I was probably Corinne’s inspiration for this post. I mused on Facebook that I was thinking of lowering my rates when I was in the midst of a fairly long dry spell a week or so ago. I was then asked by my favorite client to offer a 10% discount on a very large job (20,000 words) with a tight deadline. I’m glad I didn’t give in to either temptation. Instead of offering a volume discount (which makes no sense from an economic standpoint – working harder for less money???) I am working with the client to keep the word count low (only translating multiple responses once, using contractions whenever I can, allowing them to pretranslate some of the more simple responses, etc.). They are hopefully happy with the compromise. I also have a new client who is willing to pay me my highest rate ever and has sent me four jobs in as many days.
So stick to your guns. We have bills to pay too! For $22 an hour I can work as a secretary or clean houses (both jobs with markedly lower stress levels). There are not that many qualified translators out there as it is. If the agencies keep trying to depress rates more and more they will soon find there will be even fewer qualified translators. The economy is sure to improve any day now. Just remember, this too shall pass!
Check out my guest blog post at Naked Translations March 5, 2009
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Marketing ideas, Random musings.1 comment so far
I’d like to invite you all over to Céline’s blog, Naked Translations, where I’ve written a guest blog post on e-mail marketing. I have been reading Céline’s blog since before I started blogging myself (she’s been blogging since November 2003). If you aren’t already familiar with it, be sure to give it a look! It’s got some great stuff. A little while ago Céline approached me about writing a guest blog post for her blog. I had mentioned my e-mail marketing campaign in one of my blog posts, and she wanted me to go into more detail about it for her blog. I have talked about this numerous times in Corinne and my preconference seminar at ATA conferences, but I was able to go into more detail on Céline’s blog. Thank you so much for inviting me, Céline. It is truly an honor.
Bilingual dreaming March 2, 2009
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Random musings.1 comment so far
Q: A Cleveland reader asks “I came to the United States when I was 10 years old, speaking only Croatian. Now, 30 years later, I find I still dream in Croatian and don’t ‘get’ jokes in English. People have to forewarn me that a joke is coming. Why this lingo lag for me?”
A: Bilingual folks report a number of interesting linguistic effects in their dreams. Some seem to stay with their native language for quite a while, whereas others switch quickly, even before becoming completely fluent, says Harvard Psychologist Deidre Barrett. Most common is for these dreamers to switch from language to language, often using their later language when dreaming of present issues and their earlier language when dreaming about people from the past, childhood emotional issues, etc. As to a bilingual’s response to jokes, some jokes that are very physical or rely on tone of voice may translate well. However, some forms of humor, such as puns, rely on such a subtle sense of a language that an adult learner may not get them.
This question and answer set brings up points most people don’t really talk about. Which language(s) do you dream in? When did you stop having trouble understanding jokes? I personally started dreaming in German about one year into living in Germany (11 years after starting to learn the language but the first year I was truly immersed in the language). I usually have no problems getting jokes, but if I am really tired or it contains some obscure cultural inference it might go right over my head. But then again, some British jokes go over my head too and they are in English 🙂 How about you? Any thoughts?
Musings from an overworked translator 